The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on College Student’s Stress and Physical Activity Levels

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic adversely disrupted university student educational experiences worldwide, with consequences that included increased stress levels and unhealthy sedentary behavior. Aim: This study aimed to quantify the degree of impact that COVID-19 had on the levels of physical activity and stress of university students by utilizing wearable fitness tracker data and standard stress survey instrument scores before and during the pandemic. Methods: We collected Fitbit heart rate and physical activity data, and the results of a modified Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) stress survey from 2,987 university students during the Fall 2019 (residential instruction; before COVID-19) and Fall 2020 (hybrid instruction; during COVID-19) semesters. Results: We found indicators of increased sedentary behavior during the pandemic. There was a significant decrease in both the levels of physical activity as measured by mean daily step count (↓636 steps/day; p = 1.04 · 10-9) and minutes spent in various heart rate zones (↓58 minutes/week; p = 2.20 · 10-16). We also found an increase in stressors during the pandemic, primarily from an increase in the number of students who experienced the “death of a close family member” (38.8%), with the number even higher for the population of students who opted to stay home and attend classes virtually (41.4%). Conclusions: This study quantifies the decrease in levels of physical activity and notes an increase in the number of students who experienced the death of a close family member, a known stressor, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings allow for more informed student-health-focused interventions related to the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions experienced by academic communities worldwide.

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“…All cohorts had mandatory exercise programs and the results were consistent for all three cohorts. Even so, an understandable decrease in levels of physical activity was noted for students during the pandemic and we note the imitation -though levels of physical activity did not decrease to the same extent as at other institutions [28].…”

“…Outside of these dates, the institution was fully open and in session with hybrid instruction, with all study participants attending classes either in person or via Zoom (Fall 2020 only -3 study participants were fully virtual). During the pandemic, even though students were still required to participate in the institution's required aerobics program, a decrease in levels of physical activity was noted -though not to the same extent as at other institutions [28].…”